Unravel season 3: Last Seen Katoomba

In Season 3 of Unravel, reporter Gina McKeon forensically digs into the suspicious unsolved disappearance of young mum, Belinda Peisley, who was last seen in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, in September 1998.

Belinda's life descends into chaos when she receives a large inheritance after she turns 18 and buys her own place in town. It's a move her family thinks will set her up for life, but instead the house becomes a magnet for a world of drugs and crowd of people who visit day and night.

By piecing together the stories and evidence around the six main persons of interest named at the inquest into Belinda's disappearance and suspected death, what emerges is a picture of a town and case shrouded in secrecy.

The series uncovers a dark underbelly of drugs and violence, and a culture of fear and intimidation, that still exists in this town. 20 years on, some are still too scared to speak about Belinda's case.

Gina McKeon is a dual Walkley Award-winning journalist and producer. She previously worked producing international award-winning interactive documentaries, podcasts, and online stories for SBS.

Gina was the ABC's Andrew Olle Scholar in 2014 and has previously worked at for ABC News and 7.30 in the Northern Territory, and as a journalist and producer for RN Breakfast, ABC Sydney, NewsRadio, and triple j.

Belinda Peisley's life descended into chaos after her 18th birthday when she received a big inheritance and bought her own place in Katoomba. Her family hoped the house would set her up for life but, instead, her new address became a magnet for a world of drugs and crowd of people who’d turn up at all hours.

Six months later, Belinda disappeared. In the months before she vanished, Belinda told her family she was scared — even that she wanted to change her identity and leave town — but they couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to hurt her.

Join reporter Gina McKeon as she travels to Katoomba to begin to understand what happened to Belinda Peisley.

We go inside the courtroom at Belinda Peisley's inquest to hear firsthand the arguments, phone taps and witness testimony. Jason*, Belinda's boyfriend at the time, says he met up with her on the night she disappeared. They had an argument at her house and he left. It's the last time he ever saw her. Jason is from a footy family in the Mountains and his father John* wasn't impressed his son was going out with someone from the so-called 'junkie' crowd.

Hear the inquest testimony from Jason and his father as they answer questions about Belinda's disappearance.

Heidi Wailes was close to Belinda and says she looked out for Belinda like an older sister would. But a break-in at Belinda’s house just days before she disappeared suggests Heidi might not have always been the friend she claimed to be. Many, including the coroner at Belinda’s inquest, believe Heidi may know more about what happened to Belinda than she is revealing. As pressure mounts in the courtroom, cracks begin to show. We also hear from another person in Belinda’s friendship circle, Wanda Loynds (aka "Storm") who admits to punching Belinda on the last day she was seen alive.

Jeremy Ward Douglas was going out with Belinda Peisley’s best friend, Heidi Wailes, at the time Belinda disappeared. The inquest into her death heard Jeremy had a reputation around town as a violent and controlling guy with a short temper who would hang around Belinda’s house, often against her wishes. Heidi says that, after Belinda disappeared, she remembers Jeremy behaving like he knew she wasn’t coming back. The court hears stories from others of Jeremy’s rage and that he allegedly had ideas about where Belinda’s body might be.

Some of the most explosive moments in Belinda Peisley’s inquest happen between lawyer Phil Strickland and the man we’re calling Luke. Luke admits to using heroin and to staying on Belinda’s floor from time to time, like a lot of their crowd in Katoomba at the time. He’s got a violent past and a long rap sheet, but denies being a standover man or ever demanding money from Belinda. In the coroner’s court, Luke is grilled about an alleged conversation he had in jail with a fellow prisoner who remembers Luke bragging about smashing Belinda’s head with a rock. Luke denies all these accusations.

Police who investigated the disappearance of 19-year-old Belinda Peisley in 1998 missed a critical window of opportunity to gather evidence into her suspected homicide, a former NSW Police officer and missing persons expert says.